What is Communication?

Communication is defined as the conveyance of information from a sender to a receiver, which is conducted through various mediums such as writing, speaking, electronically, gestures etc. Communication can take place between two people in a conversation or with more multiple receivers like in university lectures. It can also take place on paper, through body movements and online. Social media over the past decade has grown exponentially over the internet and has become a significant part of the modern person’s lifestyle and influences the way they communicate with other people. There are over 1.4 billion people who use the social media site Facebook; this is 20% of the whole world’s population. Also over 500 million statuses are tweeted everyday by users on the social media site Twitter. Social media is so prevalent it has overtaken online pornography (Goldsmit, 2008) as the most prominent activity on the internet. The impact Social Media Networks have had on communication is very pronounced and has changed the way we communicate forever. This is especially prevalent with interpersonal and organisational communication, both of which are heavily influenced by social media. This influence is capitalised on and creates challenges in the case of organisational communication whilst interpersonal communication is altered fundamentally and both enhanced and degraded by social media influences. In both positive and negative ways, Social Media Networks have influenced and changed how we communicate with one another and everyone around us. The way we communicate with one another interpersonally being the most influenced by social media.

Interpersonal communication is the straightforward communication that takes place between two people, wit...

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... effect on both interpersonal communication and organisational information is positive and continues to grow in prominence and influence.

REFERENCES

Goldsmit, B. (2008). Porn passed over as Web users become social. Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/16/us-internet-book-life-idUSSP31943720080916. Last accessed 19th Mar 2014.

Straubhaar, J. LaRose, R. (1997). Communications Media in the Information Society. United States of America: Wadsworth. p9.

Berger, A, A. (2000). Media and Communication Research Methods. London: Sage Publications. p15.

Watson, J. (2008). Media Communication: An Introduction to Theory and Process. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p307.

Deacon, D. Pickering, M. Golding, P. Murdock, G. (2007). Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis. 2nd ed. London: Hodder Arnold. p18.